Fire crews have had to empty the contents of a recycling truck on to an Armstrong Creek road after smoke was spotted coming from the vehicle on Tuesday morning.
The Cleanaway truck was carrying 450 bin loads of recycling when Fire Rescue Victoria turned up to the incident in Keats Circuit around 8am.
It’s yet to be determined what caused the smoke but Geelong Council will investigate what may have sparked a small fire.
“The fire is being investigated, including whether a battery or vape in a waste bin may be the cause,” Executive Director City Infrastructure James Striton said.
“We encourage community members to safely dispose of batteries, including those from e cigarettes, at a local battery drop off point,” he said.
Surf Coast Shire Council had to deal with similar incidents in December last year, where the CFA were called to two fires in the space of about a week.
One incident caused a fire at the Anglesea tip after it’s believed a smouldering battery was dumped by a truck.
“Hazardous items like batteries in general waste bins can cause fires in collection trucks or landfill, putting drivers and staff at risk,” Councillor Kate Gazzard said at the time.
“A fire at our landfill site could also potentially spread to surrounding bushland and put nearby communities at risk.”
Information about recycling in Greater Geelong can be found here: https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/recycling/guide
